Decision details

Moved by Councillor Maxwell, seconded by Councillor Thompson –

It is resolved that:

(A)        Council note:

(i)           on 2 November 2025, a rally organised by the National Socialist Network, operating under the name “White Australia”, took place outside the NSW Parliament on Macquarie Street, displaying antisemitic messages and Nazi symbolism;

(ii)         the rally was authorised under a Form 1 Public Assembly Notice that was not opposed by NSW Police. Senior leaders, including the Premier and Police Commissioner, have since confirmed they were unaware of the event prior to its occurrence;

(iii)        in response, the NSW Government and NSW Police have each announced internal reviews into how the rally was approved and how existing hate-speech and vilification laws were applied;

(iv)        Jewish community organisations and civil-society groups have called for stronger action to prevent extremist and antisemitic demonstrations from using public democratic institutions as stages for hate;

(v)         multiple parliamentarians and community leaders have raised concern at what has been described as a “double standard” in policing, and have urged legislative and procedural reform to ensure that hate-based gatherings cannot be authorised under current protest-law settings;

(vi)        the City of Sydney has repeatedly affirmed its support for the right to peaceful protest as a cornerstone of democracy, most recently through its Democratic Right to Protest resolution of 25 November 2024, and has equally condemned any expression of racism, antisemitism, or hate speech in civic spaces; and

(vii)      Sydney’s strength lies in its diversity and its commitment to tolerance, inclusion and mutual respect, and it is incumbent upon all levels of government to safeguard those values in the face of extremist provocation;

(B)        Council unequivocally condemn the neo-Nazi rally held outside NSW Parliament, the hateful ideology it represents, and the antisemitic intimidation directed at Sydney’s Jewish community and other groups;

(C)        Council add its voice to calls from community, faith and political leaders for:

(i)           a full and transparent review into how the rally was approved under the Form 1 Public Assembly Notice process;

(ii)         consideration of legislative reform to ensure hate-based or extremist organisations cannot obtain authorisation for public assemblies that promote racial or religious vilification without further restricting the right to democratic, peaceful protest; and

(iii)        clearer operational protocols to guarantee that the Premier, relevant Ministers, and affected local authorities are notified in advance of any protest by organisations associated with extremist or violent ideology;

(D)        the Lord Mayor be requested to write to the NSW Premier, the Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism, the Minister for Multiculturalism, and the Attorney General expressing the City of Sydney’s condemnation of the rally and its support for these calls for reform, transparency and stronger safeguards against hate-based demonstrations in civic spaces; and

(E)        Council reaffirm its commitment to ensuring that public spaces under the City’s control remain safe, inclusive and open for peaceful democratic expression, and will not be used to promote hatred or intimidation of any community.

The motion, as varied by consent, was carried unanimously.

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